


Muse

by dankou



Series: Polaroid [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 09:28:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11483523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dankou/pseuds/dankou
Summary: Genji needed to get things off his mind so he called to Jesse to meet up.





	Muse

Jesse had a fairly good start of the year. Despite the slight age gap with most people on his course, he got to making friends - though most of his new friends were his flatmates. He tended to meet up with Genji more than most others, though. And despite his usual difficulty with deadlines and self discipline, he’d done a fairly good job at keeping on top of his work, too, which was a major achievement for him. Even better yet, he was _enjoying_ the course so far; much more than he initially thought he would.

Jesse had liked taking pictures from a young age, and usually of people. Though he had gotten a lot of comments in the past for being ‘a creep’ or a ‘weirdo’ for taking photos of people. And so he gave it up for a long time. It took him a while to pick it back up again, especially as he got mixed in with the wrong crowd for many years. After getting into a lot of trouble many times he was advised to get back into education before he ‘wasted his youth’, though at the time he rejected that idea and didn’t see the point in it. He eventually signed himself up for adult education on impulse and then, of course, came university in a new country for a new start.

_Bzzt. Bzzt._

The sound of Jesse’s phone vibrating loudly atop of his laptop on the floor woke him from his nap he took all too soon after he woke up that morning. He sluggishly flopped himself over to drop an arm down and grab his phone. Jesse winced at the sudden bright light of the screen before noticing he’d gotten a text.

 **_Genji:_ ** _hey, you up? Xx_

Jesse rolled back onto his back, stretched a little and rubbed his eyes. He waited a moment to let himself wake up a bit more before replying.

 **_Jesse:_ ** _i am now lmao_   
**_Genji:_ ** _wanna meet up? Xx_   
**_Jesse:_ ** _sure_   
**_Jesse:_ ** _what time and where ??_   
**_Genji:_ ** _starbucks at 1:30?? Xx_   
**_Jesse:_ ** _sounds good to me_ _  
_ **_Genji:_ ** Xx

Jesse hadn’t even checked what time it was before making plans and just kind of laid there for moment before checking on his phone. It was already 1 o’clock. His body still felt a little bit heavy from tiredness but he was going to force himself out of bed just to see Genji.

He had dressed himself earlier before taking a nap, so he didn’t really feel the need to bother changing his clothes again. All he really did was freshen himself up a bit, grabbed his keys and his wallet and left for the rendezvous.

They arrived around about the same time. Genji was slightly earlier, though and Jesse had the impression that Genji was much more awake than he was, too. They ordered themselves a drink and sat down soon after.

“Thanks for coming to meet me. I know it was a bit on-the-spot.”  
“Hey, no worries,” Jesse assured, though noticing there was a slight melancholic undertone to his voice, “You a’ight?”   
Genji groaned, shuffling in his spot before slumping back in his seat, visually disgruntled.   
“I’ve had my brother nagging me all morning about ‘being more involved in the family business’ again and he won’t shut up about it! Sorry I’m not interested in that bullshit Mr. Arrow-Up-My-Ass!” Genji explained, making sure to mock Hanzo when quoting him. He sighed, took a sip of his latte and continued, “I just… Needed to get my mind off things, I guess.”

Jesse sipped his coffee and winced suddenly at the burning sensation that struck his tongue, and placed his drink down on the table to cool down for a bit. That’s one way to wake someone up, he thought.

“So you’ve mentioned.” Jesse relaxed into his seat and lazily rested his hands on his lap. “What is this ‘family business’ anyhow?”   
Genji hesitated for a moment, as if trying to carefully determine how to explain it.   
“Well, it’s” — he paused, shuffled in his seat and sighed — “It’s not exactly…”   
“Legal?” Jesse guessed at the first thing he thought of. But judging by the expression Genji made at that response he knew he must have hit the nail on the head there. Or perhaps got it completely wrong and Genji thinks he’s strange.   
Genji averted his eyes as if to check the coast was clear before confirming in a hushed tone, “Yeah. And I don’t want anything to do with it.”   
“That’s understandable,” Jesse reassured before taking a sip of his no longer scalding coffee, “‘Been down that path m’self. Just fucks you up. Wouldn’t recommend it.”   
“I hear you,” Genji agreed, finally allowing himself relax at the assurance that someone understands how it is and taking a long sip of his latte. He daren’t ask too much about his past, however, especially in a public place.

They sat quietly for a while just enjoying their drinks; Genji occasionally checking his phone on various social media apps and declining calls from family and Jesse staring out the window daydreaming. It wasn’t awkward either. It was a comfortable quietness where they could just relax with someone and just be.

Jesse thought about what he was like before back in the States and how reckless he’d be with Deadlock. Those were troubled times he’d rather not relive. His thoughts turned to his mother. He wondered how she was doing. He needed to call her later, he thought.

Jesse was distracted from his thoughts when he felt a few nudges at his feet. He turned to Genji who had been observing him for at least a minute now and continued to gently nudge. Jesse couldn’t quite read what Genji was thinking as he looked at him but his expression had softened a great deal from earlier.

Finally, Genji suggested they walk around for a while, perhaps towards the park, and Jesse nodded.

They strolled around for a while and eventually found themselves on a swing set in the park, like the mature adults they were.

“Maybe we could catch a movie later or somethin’,” Jesse suggested, hoping to stir conversation.  
“I’ll see what’s on,” Genji stated as he got out his phone to scroll through the cinema app, “What sort of stuff are you into? Yanno, besides cowboys.”   
“Well, that just rules out every movie ever,” he joked at his own expense, smiling at the grin that appeared on Genji’s face. After seeing him so distressed earlier it was nice to see him lighten up.

“You’re in luck,” Genji announced, turning to face Jesse, rocking himself on the swing using his heels, “That new remake of ‘Magnificent 7’ is showing tomorrow night!” McCree felt excitement whirl within him,   
“Yer jokin’, right? I thought it wasn’t showing any more?”   
Genji shuffled closer and showed Jesse his phone,   
“See for yourself, cowboy!”   
“No way!”   
“Then it’s a date!” Genji stated confidently.

Jesse’s head jolted up suddenly at the word ‘date’ but before he could even react he noticed how the sun’s rays were kissing Genji’s face - the twinkle in his gorgeous, deep brown eyes, the way his dimples complimented his face, his stylishly unkempt green hair - Genji really was a beautiful man.

“Don’t move,” he said to a slightly confused Genji before scrambling for his phone. There was a shimmer of inspiration in Jesse’s eyes as he held up his phone to get a good angle on his camera of Genji.

 _Snap!_ Jesse took the shot and was glowing at how the photo turned out. But then he swallowed suddenly remembering how weird that might have seemed. What if Genji was creeped out by him?

“‘m sorry, uh… ‘Tis just the lighting was really good and—”  
“ —Let me see,” Genji interrupted, snatching the phone out of Jesse’s hands before he could explain himself. Jesse’s heart was racing, worried about if he’d messed everything up.   
“I could delete it if ya want…”   
“Could you send this to me?” Genji spluttered enthusiastically, “I look great!”

Blinking with surprise at his response Jesse stumbled on his words,  
“Yeah, sure! You, uh, are you not, y’know, weirded out?”   
Genji cocked an eyebrow,   
“Why would I be?”

Jesse suddenly felt as though he was sounding absolutely ridiculous about this whole thing but he went on to explain anyway,  
“‘Tis just… Growin’ up, I liked to take snapshots of people. People were just so interesting. But, naturally, kids gave me hell for it. Got called a ‘freak’ an’ ‘creep’ among other things, so I just… Gave up on it, I guess.”   
Genji, handing Jesse his phone back, nudged him gently on the arm.   
“I don’t think you’re any of those things. We’re friends. If I had a problem with it I would’ve told you not to take my picture. Don’t worry about it.”

There was a sense of relief Jesse felt upon those words. He began to rock himself on the swing, fiddling with his phone in his hand. He then heard a gasp from Genji as if he’d just had an amazing idea.  
“I could model for you if you wanted! For your photos, I mean,” he suggested. That offer caught Jesse off guard,   
“Really?”   
“Yeah! Whenever you’re feeling inspired, just hook me up!”

Jesse had always found Genji’s confidence in himself alluring, even admirable. Whenever Jesse were to come across as confident it was always just a facade, whereas Genji’s seemed sincere. Jesse accepted the offer and Genji excitedly planted himself on Jesse’s lap.

He wasn’t expecting that at all. But soon Genji had his cell out ready on the front camera and posed with him, Jesse doing his best to not look like he’d just woken up.  
“New profile picture,” announced Genji, not shifting from the spot. Jesse’s heart fluttered, but they hung there on the swing comfortably for a while.

Genji really was something else, Jesse thought.


End file.
